Playing-card holder and score-card.



No. 7u,|o3. Patented 0ct. l4, 1902..

H. u. FREEMAN. PLAYING CARD HDLDEB AND SCDDE CARD.

(Application filed Dec. 2a, 1001.

(lo Ilodol.)

1/2/6152? I Eqyfl Five/72012 UNITED STATES A PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. FREEMAN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

PLAYING-CARD HOLDER AND SCORE-CARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,103, dated October 14, 1902.

Application filed December 23, 1901. Serial No. 86,925. (No model.)

To all. w/tom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. FREEMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Playing-Card Holders and Score-Cards, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in card-holders, and relates more particularly to that class employed to retain or hold playing-cards.

It is a well-known fact that when playing certain games of cards-such as whist, duplicate whist, skat, hearts, and like games, where the players are required to hold a large number of cards-it is quite a difficult task to hold the cards in such a manner that they will be exposed to view and to retain them in such position when playing a game that not one of them will be overlooked.

It is the object of the present invention to overcome such difficulties and provide a card holder or rack that may be easily held in the hand and the cards arranged therein in such a manner that the same may be easily read by the players.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a holder or rack with a counter or indicator for the purpose of scoring points or games as the play progresses.

The present invention further contemplates to provide a card holder or rack that will be extremely simple in construction, strong, durable, and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture; furthermore,one that may securely retain the cards and allow same to be readily removed therefrom as the various tricks are played.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of referene indicatec like parts throughout both views, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved card holder or rack,showing a n umber of cards secured therein. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View thereof with the cards removed.

In the drawings the reference-numeral 1 represents the base, which is preferably, although not necessarily, formed in a semicircle, and 2 represents a front portion of the rack or holder, which is also preferably semicircular and is formed in a manner that will allow the base 1 to extend above the front portion 2. The said base and front portion are rigidly secured together by means of rivets 3, carrying heads 4, upon said rivets being rotatably secured indicators 5, carrying pointers 6. These pointers 6 operate upon the dial 7, whiclrmay be printed or otherwise marked upon the front portion 2. The dial 7 has graduations marked thereon in order to indicate the different points or games, as the case may be.

The reference numeral 8 represents the playing-cards.

The base and the holder are suitably spaced apart by means of a washer 9, secured over the rivets 3, and by a spacing-strip 10 at the lower ends of the base and holder, the latter being secured in any well-known manner.

For the purpose of illustrating the operation of my device We will assume that the hand of whist is played, the thirteen cards of each player being arranged in one of the holders or racks and may be arranged therein so that each card will be sufficiently exposed to view that a mistake is not apt to occur when certain suits are called for by the player playing lead.

In case duplicate whist is played the card holders or racks may be used in lieu of the ordinary racks that are now employed for duplicate whist. By this arrangement advantages are obtained, such as retaining the cards for the players and indicating upon the dial the score of the opponents.

It will be noted that the holders may be made of any suitable material, such as cardboard, pasteboard, fiber, or any other material suitable for the purpose; furthermore, that the base and front portion of the holder may be formed of one piece of material doubled over upon itself.

By the above arrangement the racks will retain the scores of both the opposing parties and the turning-points of the games may be readily calculated. It will be noted when playing the game of duplicate Whist much time is saved and the separate card that is usually kept is entirely dispensed with, the counters effectually serving this purpose.

The many advantages obtained by the use of my improved holder Will be readily apparent from the foregoing description, taken in connection With the accompanying draW-' lugs.

It Will be noted thatvarious changes, such as the shape of the holder and the manner of securing the base and front portion together, may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A card-holder comprising a base flat, a fiat front portion of less Width than the said base portion secured thereto, a spacing-strip interposed between the lower portions of the said base and front, securing-rivets located above the said spacing-strip and passing through the said base and front, Washers of approximately the same thickness as a card mounted upon the rivets therebetween, dials on the said front portion encircling the said rivets, andj an indicator rotatably mounted upon each of the rivets, and heads carried by the said rivets for retaining the indicators in their respective positions, said boards held rigidly together, and adapted to frictionally engage the cards inserted therebetween. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

HENRY H. FREEMAN. Witnesses:

JOHN NOLAND, E. E. POTTER. I 

